THESE PANTS SAVED MY LIFE Clothes don't just make the Alaskan man (or woman)—they cover your butt. No wonder everyone shows up for the Carhartt Ball, an annual shindig celebrating the lifesaving glory of outerwear.By Natasha Singer

BURNING BRIGHT In the forests of India's Madhya Pradesh, we seek a glimpse of the elusive tiger—before the poachers come, before its habitat has vanished, before the earth's greatest land predator is gone for good. By Peter Matthiessen

THE BIRDMAN DROPS IN Behold the eternal kid, soaring weightless above the halfpipe! Marvel as he becomes rich beyond his wildest dreams! Give it up for Tony Hawk, the biggest name in the business of play.By Hampton Sides

KINGDOMS IN THE AIR Far from the political storms elsewhere in Nepal, the secretive land of Mustang was once impervious to development, tourists, and change. But nothing lasts forever, not even in Shangri-la. By Bob Shacochis